Going retro at Home Decorators Collection

Many of you retro fans are well aware that there are many sites on the ‘net that carry retro products — either true vintage or reproductions. The true vintage ones are always good, of course, but it can be a pain to find what you want in good condition or for the right price. The reproductions, on the other hand, can be just plain cheesy for those who are going for a true retro ’50s or MCM look. When straight googling doesn’t get us what we need, however, we can sometimes find some gems just by taking the time to browse a store’s site.

I’m a big fan of the Home Decorator’s Collection. (Note: this is not a paid advertisement!) Not only do they have a plethora of products, they have a look to suit just about anyone, including us admirers of all things 50’s. I spent some time going through their site today and came across a few products that would look right at home in a vintage-inspired decorating situation.

The 50’s were all about geometric shapes — squares, circles, random lines, boomerangs, etc. With the right color scheme, this wall panel would look almost as if it were original to the house.

What atomic age would be complete without something that looked inspired by the planets? This mirror looks positively out of this world. (Sorry — I couldn’t resist.)

Funky, crooked squares — what more could you want in wall art?. I have a votive holder that looks something like this, and it makes my kitchen complete. Love it!

Copper canisters from your kitchen. I distinctly remember my grandparents’ lake cabin — practically a museum for 50’s decorating — having a set of copper canisters. These give a slightly more modern look to the copper with the hammered texture.

It’s called a raindrop mirror, but we 50’s fans are thinking STARBURST! Such a classic design.

The best aspect of shopping at the Home Decorators Collection, though, is the astounding array of area rugs. They have them all broken down into styles, with a huge selection of sizes, and it’s not hard to find some rugs that would spruce up any house with retro styling.

This first one doesn’t try to hide its retro styling; it’s called the Milan Fifties Rug. And fifties it is! Sigh . . . I’m in love.

A little more “white space” on this one (er . . . taupe space?), but that design looks like it’s been lifted from some vintage curtains. Great retro colors as well.

They called it the Atomic Age for a reason, and this area rug, appropriately called Planets, will give your house that “other-wordly” feel.

I love this one for the neutral colors and simple geometric pattern. It reminds me of background graphics you’d find in an advertisement for . . . well, take your pick of products. Sheets? Sure. Salted almonds? Yep. Clear telephone reception? Uh huh. That’s the comforting thing about looking at old advertisements: they’re all almost interchangeable. Different happy faces, a small variety of fonts, but really, they were all pretty much the same.

Great stuff, eh? It’s so cool to see designers trying to bring back (or maintain) some of these classic designs. I’m very tempted by the Milan area rug, but I truthfully don’t have a good place to put it . . . or do I? Oh dear — the wheels have begun to turn. Now look what I’ve started!